12 January 2012

At a lively and well attended event on 12 January at the City of Bath College, Dr Vince Cable, MP, Secretary of State for Business Innovation and Skills, congratulated the college on its achievements. ‘This is a college that is going with the grain of what the country needs,’ he said.

He had come to Bath to open the college’s new Roper building which included a new hairdressing academy and an undergraduate training facility. ‘In tough economic times,’ he said, ‘impressive, well thought out facilities like this can really help people and businesses get the skills they need to succeed and provide a real uplift to the local economy and community.’

Dr Vince Cable, MP, Secretary of State for Business Innovation and Skills

He emphasised how pleased he was that the college recognised the importance of both these aspects of vocational education. ‘We have got to break apart this division between university and colleges,’ he said. ‘Colleges like this who can do degree work must be encouraged.’

Gold Medal

He drew attention to the achievement of the college and of former student Chris Berridge, who won a gold medal in the 2011 international Worldskills competition. ‘This competition is like the Olympics for Skills, or the Nobel prize,’ he said. ‘Over 70 countries take part and they take it very seriously indeed.’ To win a gold medal was a great reflection on the quality of the college and of the individual student. He presented Chris with a special award in recognition of his achievement.

Chris Berridge, Worldskills Gold Medal Winner, and Vince Cable

Dr. Cable also spoke of the Government’s intentions to help colleges and Further Education in general, by improving the opportunities for capital finance and investment in training, and also by promoting a ’revolution in the way we think about apprenticeships.’ He commented on the historic importance of apprenticeships as a bedrock on which industrial strength was built in the past, ‘and now we have Advanced Apprenticeships in degree level work’.

Transformed College

Matt Atkinson the Principal of City of Bath College showed obvious pleasure in the success of the college in the progress of the college in recent years and in the opening of the impressive new building. ‘Since 2007 the college has been undergoing a process of transformation and now in 2012 we are proud to present ourselves to the world as a good college, a college firmly embedded in the community and a college where standards have risen consistently.

He echoed Dr. Cable’s remarks about Higher Education work in Further Education Colleges, which ‘offers local opportunities to people from a diverse range of backgrounds at an affordable price.’

Don Foster MP, Vince Cable and Matt Atkinson

Mr Atkinson commented particularly on the stunning architecture of the new building and paid tribute to the architect, the late Steven Wakefield-Wylde. The new building was called the Roper Building in recognition of the contribution of Brian and Margaret Roper have made to communities in Bath.

Commitment to Equality of Opportunity

Brian Roper also paid tribute to the quality of the building, ‘making a confident statement about Bath today and Bath’s future,’ displaying a ‘continued confidence in the continually confident and restless young.’

Brian Roper, Vince Cable and Margaret Roper

He said that he and his wife had decided to accept the honour of lending their name to the building because the college’s intentions are the same as their own. Although individual equality in monetary terms was impossible, what was achievable was ‘equality of opportunity to develop skills interests and personal satisfaction.’

The Chair

Nicole O’Flaherty, Chair of Governors, thanked in particular three people who made the new building possible: Jacqui Buffton, Vice Chair of Governors, whose idea it was, Matt Atkinson, who pushed the plan forward, and fellow Governor Colin Darracott, who gave consistent support and encouragement.

She agreed that the building was iconic, but ‘that was and is not the reason why it was built. No, it was built to serve the needs of our students and our community.’ These are what come first, part of the college’s mission ‘to ensure our students fulfil their potential.’

© Richard Ingham, Arnison Group 2012.